Coupling



YOUNG. 1 'courune.

Arucmou- FILED Fig. 25. 1917.

Patented Dee} 7, 19 20.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET lnfolmlvs'.

C. D. YOUNG.

COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED FEB- 26. 1917 1,361,788, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEIT 2.

WITNESS ATTOIN IVS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

m D. YOUNG, 0F ALTOOHA, PENNSYLVANIA.

court-mo.

1,361,788, Specification 0! Letters Patent- Patented Dec. '7, 1920.

Application ma Iehruary as, 1917. Serial .ll'o. 150,891.

To allwhomitmay concern: tion indicated in Fig. 3, and the bearing head Be it known that I, (mm D. Younc, a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to couplers. It has for its primary objects, the provision of a construction wherein it is the yoke in an integral casting, thus providing increased strength while simplifying and cheapening the structure; the provision of a construction in which the pivot-pin ordinarily employed is eliminated, thus permitting the yoke to be made narrower and reducing the necessary distance between the supports for the follow plate; and the provision of a construction which can be readily assembled. Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coupler; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the coupler yoke; 3 is an assembled view of the coupler and yoke, a section being taken through the yoke at right angles to the section of 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the coupler and yoke in assembled position, such view also showing other portions of the draft gear in side elevation; and Fig. 5 is a front end view of the yoke shown in Fig. 2.

Referring first to the construction of the yoke as shown in 2 and 3, with which the coupler cooperates, 1, 1 are the upper and lower sides of the yoke connected at the rear end by the part 2 and at the front by the parts 3, 3. The front end of the yoke is provided with the opening for the reception of the coupler shank and above and below this opening are the arc-shad bearin shoulders 4., 4-. The front end df the ak; :iBs cored out and stiffened as indicated The coupler comprises the coupler head 5, the shank 6, and the bearing head 7 such bearing head being provided at its lower and upper sides with the arc-shaped bearing shoulders 8, 8 curved to fit the bearing shoulders 4, 4: in the yoke when the parts are in assembled position, as indicated in Fi 3.

. order to assemble the coupler and yoke to the position indicated in Fig. 3, the coupler is turned ninety degrees from the posible to make 7 pushed through the opening in the yoke, the space between the sides 3, 3 (Fig. 3) being suflicient to ermit the passage of the head. When the ead is inserted through the opening in the oke its movement is continued back a conslderable distance and the coupler turned at an angle so that the head 7 lies outside the upper and lower walls 1, 1, of the yoke. In this position the necessary clearance is provided to permit of the rotating ofthe coufplaer through an angle of ninety degrees a r which the coupler is brought forward to the position shown in Fi 3. lifter the parts are brought to the osition shown in Fig. 3, the other parts 0 the draft gear are positioned, as indicated in Fig. 4. Such parts include the usual follow plates 9 and 10 and the casing 11, which carries, the springs, this part of the mechanism, as illustrated, being the usual Westlnghouse equipment.

The advantages of the construction will be readilyapparent. The yoke can be made in the form of an integral casting, thus simplifying the structure as ordinarily used. and providing a structure of increased strength and rigidity. The usual pivot pin which connects the coupler to the yoke is eliminated and thus permitting of a. more compact arrangement. The elimination of the pin permits of the narrowing of the rear end of the coupler and of the .yoke so that the distance which is bridged by the follow plate 9 is reduced. This in turn permits of a longer bearing surface between the ends of the follow plate and the supporting lugs which maintaln it against forward movement. The apparatus is easily assembled and much simpler and cheaper than the ordinary type of coupler and yoke construction. Other advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The presure of the follow plate on the rear side of the bearing head tends to hold the coupler in central position, that is, in axial alinement'with the yoke or if the coupler is out of central position tends to swing it back to such position. The draft gear is asembled with the springs in the casing 11 under initial compression so that the front a face of the follow plate exerts pressure at all times upon the flat rear face of the bearing head 7 tending to hold the coupler in central position as above set forth.

What I" claim is: {1.- In combination a coupler yoke having an opening for the coupler shank at "its front curved to permit the coupler to swing in an arc with reference to the yoke. I

w 2. In combination a coupler yoke having an openingfor the coupler shank at its front end and provided with internal bearing means adjacent the opening, a 'coiipler have ing a shank carrying a bearing head at its rear end provided with integral bearing means for opposing the bearing means in the yoke, the opening at the front end of the yoke pcrmii ting insertion of the head on the shank a ter which the coupler is turned to operative position bringing the bearing 7 means in the yoke and on the bearing head ing, pressure to the bearing head tending into opposition, the said opposing bearing;

means having arc-shaped surfaces permitting the coupler to swing laterally on an arc, and spring draft rigging means apply to bring the couplerto central position in axial alinement with the yoke.

3. The combination of' a coupler yoke -havin substantially ,flat side members and provi ed with an opening at its frontf'end adapted to receive the coupler shank and said opening, and a coupler having a shank carrying a bearing'headat its rear end provided with shoulders adapted to have rock- 'ing en agement with theshoulders on the yoke, t'e outer end faces of the shoulders on the head .being substantially flat, the height of the shouldered head belng greater than the depth of the said opening and slightly less than the distance between the faces of the side members of the yoke, but

the diagonal of the shouldered head being greater than such distance, and said openmg in the yoke being of such width as vto permit the said headto pass through when turned sidewise. H

4; The combination of a coupler yoke having substantially flat side members and proprovided with shoulders above and below vided with an opening. at its front end adapted to receive the coupler shank andprovided with arcuate shoulders above and below said opening, anda coupler having a shank carrying a bearing head at its rear end provided with arcuate shoulders adapted to bear against the shoulders on the yoke,

the outer end faces of the shoulders on'the head being substantially flat, the height of the SllOIllClGI'GClllBELd being greater than the depth of said opening and slightly less than the distance between the faces of the side members of the yoke, but the diagonal of the shouldered head being greater than such distance, and said opening in the yoke being of such width as to permit the said head.

to pass through when turned sidewise.

- CHARLES YOUNG. 

